Riverside County, CA Noise Ordinances: Quiet Hours (2026)
Quiet hours in Riverside County, CA, also called the noise ordinance, nighttime noise rules, or residential quiet time, define the hours during which excessive noise is prohibited.
Key Facts
- Curfew hours
- 10 p.m.–8 a.m.
- Covers
- power tools, audio, amplified sound
- Daytime limit
- not audible 100 ft away
- First fine
- $500 minimum
- Enforced by
- Sheriff and code enforcement
Summary
In unincorporated Riverside County, power tools, audio equipment and amplified sound can't be heard inside a neighbor's home between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.; first violations carry a mandatory $500 fine.
No person shall operate any power tools or equipment between the hours of ten p.m. and eight a.m. such that the power tools or equipment are audible to the human ear inside an inhabited dwelling other than a dwelling in which the power tools or equipment may be located. No person shall operate any power tools or equipment at any other time such that the power tools or equipment are audible to the human ear at a distance greater than one hundred (100) feet from the power tools or equipment.
Official source re-checked September 7, 2026: no newer edition of the code had been published (publisher’s edition: Code of Ordinances: Supplement 84 Update 1).
Full Breakdown
Riverside County Code Chapter 9.52 sets a countywide noise curfew for the unincorporated area. Under Section 9.52.060(B)-(D), power tools, audio equipment, and sound-amplifying equipment or live music can't be audible inside a neighboring inhabited dwelling between 10 p.m. and 8 a.m.; sound-amplifying equipment and live music are barred outright during those hours. Outside the curfew, the same equipment still can't be heard 100 to 200 feet away depending on the source. The rule covers only the unincorporated county. Riverside, Moreno Valley, Corona, Temecula and the county's other 28 incorporated cities enforce their own separate municipal noise codes.
Violations & Fines
First violation within 180 days: $500 minimum fine. Second violation: $750 minimum. Third and further violations: $1,000 minimum fine and/or up to six months in county jail; each day of a continuing violation is a separate offense.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are Riverside County's quiet hours?
What's the penalty for breaking quiet hours?
Does this apply inside the City of Riverside?
Sources & Official References
Other rules in Riverside County
How Riverside County compares: Cities with the Strictest Noise Ordinances·California rules heatmap·Compare Riverside County to another location·View the California noise ordinances overview
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